Lumberjack

Intelligent Work-Sharing

Overview

It's not uncommon for people to face the extreme weather nowadays. However, it's hard to recover, especially when the resources from the government and NGO are limited. And it's also impossible to clean up the community on their own. Lumberjack provides the work-sharing connection for people with the similar workload to connect and clean up the trees around their communities. By slowly accumulating the workload, at the end all the trees will be cleaned up share by share.

Role

UX Designer, Prototyper

Duration

2018 Feb. - 2018 Jun.

Responsibility

Led the design and prototyping of the responsive web service Lumberjack from start to finish, including the user flow, interaction design, prototyping and user testing.

Provide a quick & helpful solution for post-hurricane tree cleaning

Background

There are close to 7 hurricanes every 4 years that strike the United States, which cost 24% urban forests lost on average. Nevertheless, the post-hurricane cleanup requires professional gadgets and vehicles, which most people don't have. Lumberjack provides a peer-to-peer solution by pairing up exactly a truck person and a saw person for their mutual tasks. The solution currently is the simplest scenario, but we will incorporate multiple stackholders and tools in the future stage.

A perfect match for value exchange

Research

We brainstormed several models and used speed-dating to test out the ideas early. We found out that the value exchange of the saw and the truck after the hurricane might be possible. The following are the models we generated:

Pumps exchange in post-flood situation

Generators exchange in post-hurricane situation

Truck-chainsaw exchange in post-hurricane situation

Ｍatch up between saw owners & truck owners

Scenario

Residents who need to clean up their trees in the neighbourhood can use the Lumberjack platform to connect with the one who can complement their tools. So the one with a chainsaw can connect with the one with a truck, then they can go and clean up their trees cooperatively.

How the value exchange helps with the tree cleanup

Value Exchange Model

After creating the scenario, we designed the screen map to flesh out our interfaces. At the same time, this screen map also helped us prioritize the core interfaces that need to be designed first.

The blueprint of the responsive website

Screen Map

Residents in need in a given area can connect with their neighbor who has a chainsaw or a truck to cleanup their area. Match by match, the whole neighbourhood can be cleaned up after the hurricane.

Designing for values exchange

Challenge

A suitable matching model for connecting a saw person and a truck person

A balanced value exchange model to engage 2 parties actively

A responsive system that caters the diverse needs in the post-hurricane situation

Customized features serving the different situations and needs

A quick setup flow for better matching experience

Design Thinking 1

The quick setting up flow provides users efficiency to match up for help. The modular parameters also provide users important information for matching with the best option.

Invite based model helps users filter & match up more quickly

Design Thinking 2

The invite based model similar to Airbnb give users the choice to narrow down on a neighbor with similar workloads, which increases the matching rate. By contrast, a time-based model like Uber cannot provide users the sufficient potential matchers in just a few minutes.

Progressive disclosure of user's profile protects user's security

Design Thinking 3

Then the connection is made, users receive a notification. Neighbor’s information is not disclosed until users are connected. Also, the whole screen notification can the best catch up users' attention.

A consistent color coding & icons provide clear feedbacks

Design Thinking 4

The color coding and icons provide users with clear feedbacks of the matching mode, either the saw mode or the truck mode. The blue color-coding stands for the truck matching mode, and the orange stands for the saw matching mode.

Multiple requesting design allows users to get help in different locations

Design Thinking 5

Individuals might need more than 1 location to get help. The multiple requesting design gives users the flexibility to request in multiple locations.

Invision & After Effects Prototype

A clear visual selection provides user-friendly feedbacks

The clear visual difference of filled and bordered checkboxes can help users discern the selected and unselected trucks or saws.

A smooth transition of micro-interaction offers a clear indication of the current stage

The subtle micro-interaction of turning the selected item into a mail icon gives users a clear feedback of the current stage.

An emergent popup gives users the most prominent attention

When there is a possible connection, the whole screen popup provides a clear prompt in the urgent post-hurricane situation.

Elegant micro-interactions provide users clear system feedbacks

When the connection is made, the micro-interaction will gradually show up a gradient route that connects 2 users.

How peer-to-peer based Lumberjack helps communities recover from a hurricance

Concept Video

We made a concept video that displays how Lumberjack can help communities recover from a hurricane accumulatedly. By matching up a saw user with a truck user, people who are originally unable to do so can help each others clean up their trees. Peer by peer, couples by couples, almost all the trees aorund the community can be cleaned up.

What I learnt from good teammates

Reflection & Next step

When unable to make a design decision, get feedbacks outside the team

A good team spirit is not only about finishing and putting work together, but more about respecting and understanding where each others are coming from

Complementing and helping each others out not only within skills, but also within the personalities is the best way to cooperate

The future steps

Explore introduction of other tools or services to help with the clean-up process